Question: On a recent vacation in Florida, I placed up to a month's supply of my supplements in a daily pillbox and my Swanson Premium Brand L-Carnitine tablets turned the compartments into a mess. These tablets just disintegrated within a week. What's going on?

The answer to your question lies in the nature of l-carnitine supplements; they are extremely hygroscopic, meaning they readily absorb and retain any available moisture. Keeping the lid of the bottle tightly closed—and exposing the tablets to as little air as possible when you open it—will help ensure that the tablets don't dissolve prematurely. As you unfortunately experienced, this product is better off in the bottle and not in a pillbox with other supplements. Be assured this is not about product quality; this is simply the nature of l-carnitine. On the plus side, this heart-health supplement dissolves very easily in the body, making it a popular addition to energy powders and liquid supplements.

Based on these observations, our Quality Control team is considering adding a note about moisture to the product label. In the meantime, we would like to remind you of our 100% Money-Back Guarantee and generous return policy—part of our Swanson 7-Leaf Guarantee. If you're ever dissatisfied with one of our products, please let us know for an exchange or a refund. Please know that your comments help our Quality Control teams assess and improve our products.

This question was answered by a trained product specialist at Swanson Health Products. Do you have a question you’d like answered? Send it via email to drea658baic@compend.me.

(Note: as per industry regulations, we cannot and will not answer medical questions, make treatment or diagnosis recommendations or comment on disease inquiries. Such questions must be answered by your doctor or professional health care provider.)